Greek Kingdom Of Axum

Greek Kingdom of Axum​

The Kingdom of Axum was the sole sub-Saharan African state to issue coinage prior to the 19th century. In addition to this honor, it was also one of the earliest Christian states, as reflected in the crosses and religious themed legends on this coins.



In the AD 330s, the Axumite king Ezanas converted to Christianity, which became the state religion, making Axum the second ancient state, after , to adopt Christianity. There are also possible links between Axum and Biblical Judaea, and an enduring legend is that, to save it from destruction at the hands of the Babylonians, king Menelek I, the son of king Solomon of Israel and Makeda, Queen of Sheba, secretly moved the Ark of the Covenant to his kingdom in Ethiopia [Axum], where it supposedly rests today in a treasury near the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Our Lady Mary of Zion.